1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highly sensitive hybridization probe and to a target nucleic acid detecting kit, a target nucleic acid detecting apparatus and a target nucleic acid detecting method using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a method in which a target gene sequence is detected in a nucleic acid polymer or a method in which difference or homology of plural nucleic acid polymers is judged, there has been known a hybridization method in which a single-stranded polymer (DNA or RNA) which is complementary to a partial sequence of the target nucleic acid polymer is used as a probe.
In that hybridization method, a single-stranded target nucleic acid polymer is fixed to a nitrocellulose film or a Nylon film, an aqueous solution of probe nucleic acid labeled with radioisotope or enzyme is added onto the film and, since only hybridized probe nucleic acid polymer remains on the film after being washed with water when the probe nucleic acid polymer is hybridized to the target nucleic acid polymer, radioactivity from the labeled radioisotope of the probe nucleic acid or chemiluminescence or color of precipitate produced by the enzyme is detected whereby it is possible to judge whether a target base sequence is present in the target nucleic acid polymer.
However, in the handling of radioisotopes, a special license or equipment is necessary and that is not for general use. In addition, there is a problem that labeling of a single-stranded probe nucleic acid polymer with enzyme, luminous substance, and the like is expensive, labor-intensive and time-consuming.
In the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 210198/1991 for example, there is a description for a method in which a hybrid is formed from DNA which is modified by antigen having a base sequence complementary to the target DNA and then it is made to react with an enzymatically modified antibody to detect the product.
However, there are problems in the method that its quantitative property is poor due to inactivation of the enzymatic activity and that much time is needed for the operation of preparing the enzymatically modified antibody, and the like., the treatment and the measurement.